Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We have already had an amount of discussion on the potential backsliding from the backstop. We have explained that people are really concerned and worried about what the implications are likely to be and about what the transition period is likely to be. As far as most of us can make out about what those in the UK want, whether the Tory Party or the Labour Party, it is that they essentially want the UK to step out of the EU and then, quite quickly, to step back into an agreement that would effectively mimic both the customs union and the Single Market. Obviously that would be on the basis of negotiations with the 27. It is the magical thinking about which there has been talk for a long time. When the Taoiseach has the bilateral meeting with Mrs. May to which he has just referred, does he hope to get clarity on the current status of the Chequers papers and the Chequers proposals? Clearly, an element of that relates to a political situation and a political proposal in the context of the internal difficulties in the politics of the UK, but it really does pose enormous difficulties for us. These papers also propose something we discussed before the summer break, namely, the "max fac", the maximum facilitation of movements and so on.

The second item on the discussion table in Salzburg is the issue of immigration. We know that the recently elected Government in Austria has taken quite a hard line on this. It seems to be another very far right government. Does Deputy Varadkar propose, as Taoiseach, to say anything about immigration? Could he share with us the sense of what he proposes to say on that matter because I am conscious that there are still huge numbers of deaths occurring in the areas around the EU, although the numbers are diminishing?

See this speech in context